Water-controlling apparatus for concrete mixers



Feb. 9, 1932. E. c. LEAcH ETAL 1,844,555

WATER CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR CONCRETE MIXERS Filed Nov, 8, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 9, 1932. E. c. LEACH ET AL 1,844,565

WATER CONTROLLIING APPARATUS FOR CONCRETE MIXERS 3 Sheecs-Sheet 2 Filed Nov, 8, 1929 Feb 9, 1932-' E, c. I r-:AcH ET A| 1,844,665

WATER CONTROLLIG APPARATUS FOR COCRETE MIXERS Filed Nov. 8, 1929 3 sheets-sheet s be/ E lege@ .Erw @fiamma @ma Patented Feb. 9, 1932 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELBERT C. LEACi-r` AND EEIC O. HAI/IEEN, or osIIxosH, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOES r.ro EEACH COMPANY, OE OSIIKOSII, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION or WISCONSIN WATERAOONTROLLING `errAEATUS Foa CONCRETE MIXEES Application led November 8, 1929. SeralNo. 405,557.

The present invention pertains to concrete mixers, and has to do particularly with the means employed in such mixers for measuring and introducing the water mixed with each batch. 1 Y The purposeof the invention is to provide a novel water tank and valve assembly which is inexpensive to construct, is easy to operate, will accurately measure out any desired quantity of water, completely empties at each operation, and will not bi-pass water from the inlet to the outlet.

Whilethe foregoing statement is indica tive in a general `way `ofthe nature of the invention, other objects and advantages will be evident upon afull understanding of the construction, arrangement and operation of `the new valve.

One form of the invention is presented herein for the purpose of examplification, but it will of course be appreciated'that the inventionis susceptible of embodiment in other structurally modiiied forms coming equally Within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanyingdrawings:` y y" Fig. 1 is a front view of the upper portion of a concrete mixer equipped with the improved water tank and valve assembly of the invention;

Fig. 2 is apartially sectioned side view of the parts shown in Fig. 1;

\ Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the valve, taken on the line"3`-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig, 4 is a sideview of the casing for the valve; and

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through the stem of the float, taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. l2.`

The concrete mixer shown in the drawings is of well known construction and includes a mixing drum which is `mounted for.` rotation within an open-work `frame 11. A cylindrical water tank 12 is secured to the frame above the drum., `andan upwardly opening valve casing 13 is fastened tothe bottom of the tank about the edges of an aperture v14 therein( Y The valve casing 13contains an inlet valve 15 which is adaptedto move upwardly into `Huid-tightengagement with a valve "seat 16 vformed in a horizontal portion of the casing.

end of a long vertically extending rod 21 which passes through the top of the tank 12, and the upper portion of the rod 21 is encased within a tube 22. An air-filled float 23 is concentrically secured to the lower portion of the tube 22 at a point within the tank and is held at any desired height above the valve 15 by a collar 24 on the upper portion of the tube.` The collarv 24 is anchored to the rod 21A by alset screw 25 which passes through a vertically elongated slot 26 in the tube 22 and enters a positioning recess 27 in the rod. Then the screw is turned inwardly, the side of the collar opposite the screw is drawn toward the rod, and the tube is consequently clamped between the collar and the rod. The position of the float 23 may be readily changed with respect to the valve 15 by merely loosen* ing the screw 25 and shifting the tube 22 up or down. The tube is provided with marks 28 which indicate the amount of waterwhich the tank will receive for any particular setting of the collar.

When the water entering the valve casing 13 through the port 19 reaches the level of the iioat 23 and raises the latter, therod 21, be ing rigidly connected with the oat through the tube 21 and the collar 24, raises the valve 15 `up against the seat 16, thereby shutting oif the flow of water into the tank 12.

The valve casing 13 also contains an outlet valve 29 which is adapted to move downwardly into fluid-tight engagement with a valve seat 30 formed in a horizontal portion of the casing. An outlet port 31 is provided in the casing beneath the valve seat 30, and opens into a downwardly extending'pipe 32 which discharges into the drum 10. The valve 29 is pivotally suspended at 33 from an arm 34 which is secured to a sleeve 35. The sleeve 35 is rotatably mounted in a suitably packed bearing in one side of the casing 13 and provides a bearing for a containedv shaft 36, which shaft is coupled, exteriorly of the casing, to an operating lover 37 by a ferrule 3S. The sleeve 35 is provided, eXteriorly of the casing, with an offset arm 39 through which one end of a bolt 40 extends. The other end of the bolt 40 ext-ends through a block 41 which is pivotally mounted on trunnions 42 in a forged arm43, kwhich arm is secured to the shaft 36.y A coil spring 44 is positioned on the bolt between the ends of the arms 39 and 43, and the extent of separation of the ends is limited by the head 45 and nut 46 of the bolt.

The rod 21 to which the inlet valve 15 is attached passes through an elongated slot 47 in an arm 48 which is attached to the shaft 36, and is provided, a short distance beneath the arm 48, with an enlargement 49.

When the water in the tank 12 is to be discharged into the drum 10, the hand lever 37 is swung by the operator through a small angle in a clockwise direction, which movement causes the arms 34 and 48 to swing upwardly by reason of the tie connection adorded by the bolt 40. During such movement, the arm 48 slides upwardly along the rod 21 without in any way disturbing the closed inlet valve 15, while the arm 34 lifts the outlet valve 39 and permits the water to iow from the tank into the drum through the pipe 32.

After all of the water has been drained from the tank, the hand lever 3'? is swung by the operator in the opposite direction. Instead, however, of stopping the hand lever in its original position, in which position the outlet valve 29 becomes fully seated again, the operator swings the hand lever past that position against the yielding resistance of the Vspring 44 until the arm 48 has moved into engagement with the enlargement 49 on the rod 21 and has shifted such rod downwardly far enough to dislodge the inlet valve 15 from the seat 16, whereupon the hand lever is released to assume its original position, the inlet valve moves into its lowermost open pou sition, and the tank fills up with water to the level determined by the setting of the fioat 23. The cylindrical shaping of the chamber 17 and the close t of the valve 15 therein combine to prevent the valve from being prematurely closed by the force of the in-rushing water.

I claim:

1. Water-controlling apparatus for a concrete mixer, including a water tank, inlet and outlet valves for controlling the flow of water into and out of the tank, a float in the tank connected with the inlet valve for automatically closing the latter when the Water reaches a certain level, and an operating member connected with the valves in such a way as to open the outlet valve without disturbing the inlet valve when moved in one direction and to close the outlet valve and open the inlet valve when moved in another direction, said inlet valve when closed by the float being maintained in closed position by the pressure of the supply water until forced open by movement of the operating member.

l2. Watencontrolling apparatus for a concrete mixer, including a water tank, inlet and outlet valves for controlling the flow of water into and out ofthe tank, a vertically adjustable float in the tank connected with the inlet valve for automatically closing the latter when lthe water reaches the level for which the float has been set, means outside of the tank for adjusting the position of the iioat, and an operating member connected with the valves in such a way as to open the outlet valve without disturbing the inlet valve when movedv in one direction and to close the outlet valve andopen the inlet valve when moved in another direction.

3. Water-controlling apparatus for a concrete mixer, including a water tank, inlet and outlet valves for controlling the flow of water into and out of the tank, means for`automatically closing the inlet valve when the water reaches a certain level in the tank, and an operating lever connected with the valves in such a way as to open the outlet valve without disturbing the inlet valve when swung in one direction and to close the outlet valve opposite direction, said inlet valve when closed by said automatic valve-closing means being maintained in closed position independently of the vaction thereon of said means until forced open by movement of the operating member.

4. Water-controlling apparatus for a concrete mixer, including a water tank, an inlet valve, means for automatically closing the inlet valve when the water reaches a certain level in the tank, an outlet valve, a hand lever for opening and closing the outlet valve, and a connection between the hand lever and the inlet valve for opening the latter with the hand lever after the outlet valve has been closed'by the hand lever.

5. Water-controlling apparatus for a concrete mixer, including a water tank, an upwardly opening valve casing attached to the bottom of the tank about the edges of an aperture therein, an inlet valve in the casing having an upwardly extending stem, a float adjustably mounted on the stem for automatically closing the inlet valve when the said member for moving the latter to open the inlet valve after the outlet Valve has been closed by the hand lever.

6. Water-controlling apparatus for a concrete mixer, including a Water tank, an up- Wardly opening valve easing attached to the bottom of the tank about the edges of anaperture therein, an inlet valve in the easing baving an upwardly extending stem, a float adjustably mounted on the stem for automatically closing the inlet valve when the Water reaches the level Jfor which tbefloat has been set, an enlargement on the stem of the inlet valve, a member movable into engagement With the enlargement to move the stem and open the inlet Valve, an outlet valve in the casing, a hand lever for opening and clos-` ing the outlet valve, and a connection between the hand lever and said member for moving the latter to open the inlet valve after the outlet valve has been closed by the hand lever.

In Witness `whereof We have hereunto subscribed our names.

ELBERT C. LEACH. ERIC O. HAMREN. 

